Sixers: Pros and cons of starting Shake Milton

Pros of the Sixers starting Shake Milton

Shake Milton is going into his fourth season with the Philadelphia 76ers and I believe he is ready to take the next step given the right opportunity. The Sixers have a team option on his contract at the end of this year, so they need to understand what type of player he can be before offering him a more lucrative second contract.

It is inevitable that the Sixers will take a step back defensively as they are likely losing the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up from last season in Simmons. Simmons’ height and length combined with his speed made him a problem for all perimeter guards and he is irreplaceable in those aspects. Neither Shake nor Maxey are known for their defense, however Shake is 6-foot-5, three inches taller than Maxey. That height difference allows him to challenge more shots and block passing lanes that may otherwise be clear.

Additionally, Shake is a better shooter. He took a step back this past season from his career-high shooting percentages in 2019-2020, but there is no reason to think he cannot get back to that form. During that season he shot 48 percent from the field, including an impressive 43 percent from 3-point range.

Last season’s regression can likely attributed to the inconsistent playing time and uncertainty of Shake’s role on the team. Even still, he had a better 3-point percentage (.350 vs .301) and effective field goal percentage (.503 vs .498) than Maxey. When running the offense, Shake is more of a pass first point guard than a pure scorer and that is extremely important when playing alongside knock down long-range shooters like Seth Curry and Danny Green.